By now, you are well aware that on October 7, 2023, Israel endured its worst attack since the holocaust. As a response, Israel began what many knew then was going to be a devastating response.
Many voiced support for Israel’s response. After all, they have the right to defend themselves. They must eliminate Hamas so that there will never be another October 7.
I expressed concern that Israel’s response would exceed reason in that first week. I stated then that they have historically responded with ten-fold aggression. Now, with close to 40,000 dead in Gaza and another 90,000+ wounded, we might only wish that it was ten-fold aggression.
By the third week of October, I then began hosting a series of livestreams to help the American audience understand the conflict. During this time, I repeatedly appealed to the church to cry out for a just peace and an end to the conflict. This was in everyone’s best interest.
As the war continued, it became more evident that:
– Hamas could not be eliminated: after all, it is an ideology, and violence only strengthens such ideologies
– Israel’s aggression was not helping Israel in the eyes of the international community
– Tens of thousands of Palestinians (and several thousand Israeli soldiers) were dying
– Israel’s assault on Gaza seemed more and more like an effort to eliminate Gaza by making it unlivable than an effort to bring justice and the release of the hostages
Greg Khalil’s words of wisdom
One of the initial livestreams that we hosted was an interview with Greg Khalil. Greg’s credentials are outstanding. Greg, a lawyer by training, was a lead negotiator from 2004-08 for the Palestinians. He worked alongside Condoleezza Rice, Tony Blair, and the Israeli leadership. He knows the inner workings of this conflict well.
During the interview, Greg appealed to the attack of 9-11 and noted that the Western nations fell into a trap. (it is highly recommended that you listen again to the interview with Greg. Sorry, the video and sound quality are poor).
He suggested that Al Qaeda suspected that we (the West) would respond with force and demonstrate to the world that we (the West) were out of control. This would only add fuel to the rise of terrorism.
Indeed, that is what happened. There are far more terrorists today than before 9-11. The US’ response to 9-11 didn’t eliminate the threat of terrorism, it intensified it.
Greg went on to contend that Hamas wants Israel and the West to respond with brutality. This may seem strange to our way of thinking, but perhaps that is because we don’t think like terrorists (or freedom fighters—you may not like the designation, but we have to make an effort to see things from their perspective, even if we don’t agree with it, or we will never get out of the craziness of violence).
Many dismissed Khalil’s warning. I dare say, however, that he was more than correct.
Hamas is alive and well. In fact, they may well be stronger than ever. Hezbollah, the Houthis, and Iran are even more convinced that Israel is a threat to their existence.
This war has not made Israel or the US safer. It has unquestionably made us far more vulnerable.
I say this today because Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will address the US Congress later this afternoon (July 24, 2024). Despite the fact that over 230 staffers have asked their Congresspersons not to attend, there have been repeated indications that the Congress intends to set a record for standing ovations in one speech. Yep, the current record holder for standing ovations is Netanyahu himself, and Congress intends to break that record. How do you plan to set a record for standing ovations when you don’t know what the speech is about?
The concern among many is that Netanyahu may well sound the call for an increase in violence and demand that the US support his efforts. Many have reported that Netanyahu, who is fighting for his own political survival, wants to attack Hezbollah in the north and possibly even Iran. He knows, however, that he needs the US’ support–not merely our weapons, but even our military–to have any hope for success.
This is precisely what Khalil warned us about eight months ago.
The fact that congressional support for Israel is largely a bi-partisan issue bodes well for Netanyahu. Many congresspersons are up for election in a few months, so they cannot afford to be seen sitting while others are standing. (We all know that the cameras will not focus on those standing but will target those who refuse to stand).
This suggests that a foreign Prime Minister has more power over the US Congress, and our own President (whether it is Biden, Trump, or Harris) would likely make little difference.
What does this all mean?
This means that we can no longer allow war-mongering. As a democratic society, we must speak against such efforts to prolong the war and cry for peace.
Violence begets violence. And the people who suffer the most are the average families. Those who gain are those in power. Those who gain include the military-industrial complex.
NO MORE WAR.
This is what it means to love our neighbors. This is what it means to love our enemies. Nine months ago, many rejected our appeals for peace. Hamas has to be eliminated. Israel has to defend itself.
We have had nine months of this strategy, and where has that gotten us?
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